Get Knotted: Witches Knot Spells

 Get Knotted.

The None Knot Witches Ladder 

The Nine Knot Witch’s Ladder (often simply called the “Witch’s Nine-Knot Spell”) is one of the oldest and most widespread forms of knot magic in European folk witchcraft, particularly in British, Scottish, and Appalachian traditions. It is a classic example of sympathetic magic: by tying nine knots in a cord while speaking a specific incantation, the witch “binds” or “loosens” energy toward a desired outcome—most traditionally to bind an enemy, cause impotence, control the wind, or secure love, but it can be adapted for almost any purpose.

The Traditional Rhyme

The most famous version of the incantation (recorded in the 19th century but clearly much older) is:

By knot of one, the spell’s begun.

By knot of two, it cometh true.

By knot of three, so mote it be.

By knot of four, this power I store.

By knot of five, the spell’s alive.

By knot of six, this spell I fix.

By knot of seven, events I’ll leaven.

By knot of eight, it will be fate.

By knot of nine, what’s done is mine.

Each line is spoken as its corresponding knot is tied. The knots are usually tied in a specific pattern along a cord, rope, or thread (traditionally red, black, or white depending on intent).

Knot-Tying Patterns

There are two classic ways to place the nine knots:

The “binding” order (most common for curses, protection, or containment):
Knots are tied at intervals working from the two ends inward toward the center:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – (center) 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
This literally “ties the target up” and is used when you want to restrict or bind something/someone.

 The “releasing” order (for love spells, healing, prosperity, or raising power):
Knots are tied from one end straight through to the other:
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9
This is thought to “draw” the desired thing toward you.

Materials Traditionally Used

•  A length of cord, yarn, embroidery thread, hair, or leather thong (about 1–3 feet long).

•  Red cord → love, passion, life force.

•  Black cord → banishing, binding, hexing.

•  White cord → blessing, healing, purification.

•  Sometimes feathers, beads, or charms are threaded between knots to strengthen intent.

Historical Examples

•  In 17th–19th century Scotland and England, accused witches were sometimes found with knotted cords hidden in their homes; prosecutors claimed these were used to “tie up” the weather or cause cattle to stop giving milk.

•  Sailors bought “wind knots” from witches: three knots in a rope. Untie the first for a breeze, the second for a strong wind, the third for a gale. (This is why you still hear the phrase “three sheets to the wind.”)

•  In the famous 1618 Pendle witch trials in Lancashire, a knotted cord was presented as evidence of malefic magic.

Modern Adaptations

Today the nine-knot spell is used for:

•  Binding an abuser or stalker (ethical practitioners add “harm none” clauses).

•  Cord-cutting rituals (tying nine knots while visualizing a toxic relationship, then burning or burying the cord).

•  Manifestation ladders (adding beads or written petitions between knots).

•  Daily 9-day spells: tie one knot each day for nine days while repeating the rhyme, then keep or bury the finished ladder.

How To Untie the Spell

If you ever need to undo a nine-knot working, you reverse the process: untie the knots in reverse order (9 down to 1) while saying the rhyme backward or a simple release statement such as “By knot of nine, this spell unbind…” This is considered essential in traditional craft to avoid backlash.

The nine-knot practice remains one of the simplest, most portable, and most powerful tools in a witch’s repertoire—requiring nothing more than a piece of string.